The invention relates to a roof module for a vehicle roof of a passenger vehicle.
Such roof modules are known in a plurality of embodiments from the series vehicle production of passenger vehicles and are usually inserted between each lateral roof frame and a front and rear roof cross beam of the vehicle roof. The advantage of such roof modules is that vehicles can thus be designed with different roofs, for example sliding and/or lifting roofs, panorama roofs, simple sheet roofs or similar in a simple and cost-effective manner. The present roof module comprises a covering element in the vehicle transverse direction which is able to be adjusted in a guided manner along guiding elements which are spaced apart from one another in the vehicle transverse direction, between a closed position which covers a roof opening and at least one open position which releases the roof opening in the partial region.
It is furthermore known to provide vehicle roofs with corresponding energy absorption elements which are arranged between the shell structure of the vehicle roof and a casing element which covers this. The energy absorption elements serve to absorb energy in the case of an at least indirect impact of the head of a vehicle occupant with the energy absorption element and to protect the vehicle occupant accordingly. The use of such energy absorption elements is, however, connected to very high costs and a higher weight of the vehicle roofs.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to create a roof module which enables advantageous accident performance in a cost and weight-efficient manner.
In order to create a roof module which enables particularly advantageous accident performance in a cost and weight-efficient manner, it is provided according to the invention that at least one of the guiding elements is formed as an energy absorption element at least in an absorption region, the energy absorption element being deformable, thereby absorbing energy, in the case of an at least indirect impact of the head of a vehicle occupant with the energy absorption element. An absorption function is thus integrated into the at least one guiding element such that the at least one guiding element has a double function. On the one hand, the at least one guiding element thus serves to guide the covering element such that it can be adjusted between the closed position and the open position in a manner that is defined and free of jamming and flapping. On the other hand, the at least one guiding element also serves, however, to convert this accident energy into deformation energy by deforming during force loading caused by an accident and an at least indirect impact of the head with the guiding element which results from this, and thus to absorb or reduce forces caused by an accident. Thus, forces which result from the force loading caused by an accident and from the impact and acting on the vehicle occupant can be kept low. Furthermore, this advantageous accident performance can be implemented in a particularly simple, cost and weight-efficient manner, as the absorbing function is integrated into the at least one guiding element and the assembly of the energy absorption element on the vehicle roof is accompanied by the assembly of the roof module on the vehicle roof at the same time. Therefore, the number of additional energy absorption elements as well as the effort for the assembly of these can be avoided or kept to a particularly low level.
The roof element which is able to be adjusted along this in a guided manner by means of the guiding elements is, for example, an inherently rigid covering element of a sliding and/or lifting roof of the roof module. The sliding and/or lifting roof is, for example, formed as an outwardly running sliding roof or as a slide and lift roof (SHD).
The guiding elements can alternatively or additionally also serve to guide a sun protection element as the roof element, wherein the sun protection element is, for example, a surface element of a blind. The roof opening in the closed position is covered at least in the partial region by means of the flexible surface element, such that an incursion of sunlight via the roof opening into the interior is reduced compared to the open position.
It has been shown to be particularly advantageous if the at least one guiding element has an open hollow cross-section in the absorption region. Thus, the absorption region can deform particularly well during force introduction as a consequence of the at least indirect impact of the head and thus can absorb and/or reduce forces caused by an accident.
For the implementation of a particularly advantageous absorption function, at least one rib and/or at least one channel and/or a corresponding cross-section is provided in the absorption region for energy absorption.
A further embodiment is distinguished in that the at least one guiding element is formed at least in the absorption region from a light metal or a light metal alloy, in particular from aluminum or from an aluminum alloy. The at least one guiding element therefore has very good ductility in the absorption region and thus very good deformability, such that impact energy is able to be converted particularly effectively and efficiently into deformation energy.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention result from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment as well as by means of the drawings.